US2201097A - Photographic camera - Google Patents

Description

A. W. KINGSTON PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed April 23, 1938 BRIGHT views a snows 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 14, 1940- A. w. KINGSTON 2,201,097

PHOTOGRAP'HIC CAMERA Filed April 23, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 14, 1940- A. w. KINGSTON 2,201,097

PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA Filed ril 2:, 1938 a sheets sheet s Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.201.097 I rnoroclulrmc 0mm Arthur William Kingston,

London, England, as-

simr of one-half to Peter Koch De Gooreynd.

London, England Application April 23, 1938, Serial No. 203,86Z

In Great Britain April 13, 1937 4 Claims. I (Cl. 95-45) of the camera, for example, the lens, the lens-- diaphragm, a filter or the shutter.

According to the present invention, a camera of the kind described is characterised by the provision of a single control-member which is connected to or engages at least two of said movable actuating-members whereby the operation of said actuating-members is effected by means of I the single control-member.

According to another feature of the invention, said control-member is constituted by a rotatable shaft which extends through a wall of the camera and has secured thereon an arm or other actuating member, one surface of which is maintained in engagement with a co-operating surface of a lens-carrier and wherein one of said co- 7 operating surfaces is cam-shaped so that oscillation of the arm displaces the lens-carrier.

According to yet another feature of the invention, said control member is constituted by a rotatable shaft which extends through a wall of the camera and has secured thereon an arm or other actuating member which is adapted to be brought into engagement with a co-operating member secured to, or formed integrally with, a diaphragm member having an aperture formed therein and wherein one of said co-operating members is cam-shaped so that oscillation of the arm causes movement of the diaphragm member.

According to yet another feature of the invention said control-member is constituted by a rotatable shaft which has a radially-projecting member secured thereto or formed integrally therewith so that, on rotation of the shaft, the projecting member can be brought into the path of a movable shutter-member to stop the movement of the shutter-member. Preferably the shutter-member is constituted by a plate having an aperture formed therein, which plate is pivotally mounted on the camera so that the aperture can be brought into register with the lens.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the rotatable shaft is formed with one or more grooves along which the shutter-member can pass freely, and is formed with a part which,

on rotation of the shaft, is brought intothe path of the shutter.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the co-operating member is pivotally mounted and pivotally connected to the diaphragm-member. Preferably, the co-operating member has provision for limited sliding movement with respect to one of its pivotal mountings.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a camera according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the back of the front wall of the camera; w Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the lens-carrier removed; I

- Figure 4 is a front view of the lens-carrier;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figures 6 and '7 are views similar to Figure 3 but showing the moving parts in different positions;

Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to Figure 4, but showing the movingparts in diiferent positions, and

Figure 10 shows the lower part of Figure 5 with the moving parts in a different position.

As shown in the drawings, a box-camera com prises a moulded front wall H of synthetic resinous material having formed therein an aperture H which is adapted to co-operate with a lens ill. The lens ismounted on a lens-carrier which isconstltuted by a substantially triangular plate M which is supported at each corner on a rearwardly projecting pin I5 secured to the front wall. A shoulder I6 is provided at the front end of each pin and a coil spring I! which is mounted on each pin l5 between the plate and a nut l8 tends to press the plate into engagement with the shoulder. The nuts 18 are counter-sunk so that when the plate is pressed rearwardly, as shown in Figure 5, the springs are pressed into the recesses formed in the nuts, so that the plate abuts against the upstanding portions of the nuts. The pins are arranged so that when the corners of the plate abut against either the shoulders I6 or the nuts l8, the plate is parallel to the film.

' The position of the shoulders I6 is selected so that when the lens-carrier is pressed against them the lens is in the correct position for taking portraits and when the lens-carrier is pressed rearwardly into engagement with the nuts It the lens is in the correct position for use when photographing general views.

A shaft 19 is rotatably mountedin the front wall of the camera below the aperture l2 and has a. pointer 20 secured at its front end by which it can be rotated. The shaft projects rearwardly beyond the inner face of the wall H and has a radially-projecting arm 2i secured at its inner end.

The outer end of the arm ii is provided with a rearwardly projecting tongue 22 which is of such length that it engages the lens-carrier and presses it rearwardly into engagement with the nuts. The portion of the lens-carrier which is adjacent the horizontal bottom edge, is bent to form a rearwardly sloping flange 23a and it will be seen that when the arm is rotated by means of the pointer 20 to the position shown in Figure 10, the tongue 22 is brought on to the flange 23a. and the lens-carrier is pressed forwardly by means of the springs l'l until it engages the shoulders it on the pins. The tongue and flange co-operate to constitute a face-cam by means of which the position of the lens can be selected.

The shutter of the camera (Figures 3, 6 and '7) comprises a plate 23 'pivotally mounted at 25 on the wall H, which plate is formed with an aperture 25 adapted to register with the aperture l2 in the front wall. An operating trigger 28 which is slidably secured on the wall I l by screws 27!, is pivotally secured to the plate 23 by a pin 28, and stops 2E and 30 are provided on the back of the wall ll to limit the pivotal movement of the plate 23, the stop 30 being so disposed that when the plate abuts against it, the aperture 25 is in register with the aperture l2.. A return spring 3! is provided to maintain the plate 23 in the inoperative position abutting against the.

stop 29 and also to keep the trigger 26 in the inoperative position.

The shutter also comprises a second plate 32 which is operated bythe plate 23. The plate 32 is pivotaliy mounted on the wall It at the point 33 and is provided with a tongue 34 which abuts against the stops 2S and 30 to limit the movement of the plate. A spring 35 is mounted at one end on the plate 23 and at the other end on the plate 32 and is so disposed thereon that when the plate 23 is in the inoperative position (Figure 3) the tongue 36 on the plate 32 is spring-pressed against the stop Elli, but on pressing the trigger 25, just before the plate 23 assumes the operative position (Figure 6) the spring 35 is swung past the pivot point 33 and so tensioned that the tongue 34 isv in turn swung into engagement with thestop 29. An aperture 36 formed in the plate 32 registers temporarily with the apertures I2 and 25 as the plate swings across and thus provides a short exposure. On releasing the trigger 26 the spring 3| returns the plate 23 to the inoperative position and just before this is assumed the spring 35 again reaches a point past the pivot point 33 and returns the plate 32 to the position shown in Figure 3. Rearwardly extending tongues 31 are provided on the plate 23 which engage the spring 35 to ensure that it passes the point 33.

In order to provide a time exposure, an arm 38 (Figure '1) is formed on the plate 32 and is of such length that it abuts against the shaft 19 and stops the movement of the plate when the aperture 26 registers with the apertures l2 and 25 to make an exposure. For instantaneous exposures, a groove 39 is formed in the shaft l3 so that the arm 33 can pass freely along it when shutter setting are unaltered.

the shaft has been rotated to a position with the groove 39 uppermost. The choice of a time or instantaneous exposure can therefore be selected by the pointer 20 which also selects the point of focus.

The arm 21 and tongue 22 which operate the lens-carrier l4 are also used to bring a diaphragm in front of the lens to reduce the-effective aperture. As shown in Figures 4, 5, 8 and 9, a plate 40 is secured on the front of the plate l5 by screws 41 and a pin 42 so that it can slide vertically relatively to the plate. A spring 43 secured at the lower end on the pin 42 and at the upper end on the plate 43 presses the plate downwardly so that a part 44 engages a flat formed on a lens-hood 46 which is formed integrally with the plate 14. An aperture 42 is formed in the plate at such a position that when the plate is pressed downby the spring 43 it registers with the lens 13, this aperture is of suitable size for making exposures when the light is dull. A second smaller aperture 48 for use in bright light. is formed in the plate 40 below the aperture 41 and this can be brought into register with the lens by sliding the plate upwardly against the pressure ofthe spring 43.

The upward movement of the plate 40 is caused by rotating the arm I9 so that the tongue 22 engages the bottom edge of the plate 49. The bottom edge is cam-shaped and as the co-operating tongue 22 is swung across from the position shown in Figure 8 to that shown in Figure 4, the plate 40 is forced upwardly against the spring pressure until the smaller aperture 48 is in the operative position; further movement of the tongue in the same direction permits the plate to return to the normal position with the larger aperture in the operative position.

It will be seen that the operation of the shutter, focussing and the selection of a suitable aperture are all controlled by the pointer 20 on the shaft I9.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, a plate 49 is mounted on the face of the camera to show the correct position of the pointer for the various settings and detents 50 are provided in the plate M to locate the tongue 22 in corresponding positions. The position of the tongue 22 is visually indicated by the position of the pointer 20 with respect to the plate 48. When Portrait-snap 4 is selected, the arm 33 is permitted an uninterrupted passage through the upturned groove 39 in the shaft i9, the lens-carrier is pressed into the forward position because the tongue 22 engages the flange 230. (Figure 10) and the large aperture 41 is retained in the operative position by the spring 43. It will be seen that on pressing the trigger 28, an instantaneous portrait exposure is made with the large aperture. On moving the pointer round to "Views-dull" (Figure 9) the tongue 22 rides up on to the plate l4 and presses it rearwardly into the correct position for photographing general views, but the diaphragm and Further movement of the pointer to the position Views-bright" (Figures 1-6) only alters the diaphragm setting by bringing the tongue .22 into engagement with the plate 40 so as to bring the smaller aperturev the pointer to the final position Time-portraits the diaphragm and shutter setting are unaltered, but the tongue 22 is again brought on to the flange 23a so that the lens-carrier II is moved forward to the portrait position.

The lens of the camera or both the said lens and its mount may be moulded from transparent plastic material as disclosed in the specification of British Letters Patent No. 416,398.

I claim:

1. A camera comprising an adjustable lenscarrier, a diaphragm-member having a plurality of apertures mounted o'nthe lens-carrier and movable relatively thereto, a movable shutter member, a single control-member for effecting adjustment of the lens-carrierv and the diaphragm member comprising a rotatable shaft, an arm mounted on the shaft'and having formed thereon one surface adapted to engage a cooperating surface on the lens-carrierand a second surface adapted to engage a co-operating surface on the diaphragm-member, which cooperating surfaces constitute cams so that rotation of the shaft efi'ects movement of the lenscarrier and diaphragm-member, said shaft also having means thereon for controlling the time operation of the shutter member, the arrangement being such that upon rotation of the shaft there is provided for each shutter speed at least two settings of the aperture and the lens carrier.

2. A camera comprising an adjustable lenscarrier, a diaphragm member having a plurality of apertures and movable relatively to the lens carrier, a movable shuttermember, a single control member for effecting adjustment of the lenscarrier and the diaphragm member comprising a rotatable shaft, an arm mounted on the shaft and having formed thereon one surface adapted to engage a cooperating surface on the lens-carrier and a second surface adapted to engage a cooperating surface on the diaphragm member, the cooperating surfaces constituting cams so that rotation of the shaft effects movement of the lens-carrier and diaphragm member, said shaft also having means thereon for controlling the time, operation of the shutter, the arrangement being such that upon rotation of the shaft there is providedv for each shutter speed. at least two settings of the diaphragm member and the lenscarrier.

3; In a camera having a wall, an aperture in the wall, a movable lens-carrier movable towards and away from the wall, a lens mounted on said lens carrier, a diaphragm aperture member having a plurality of apertures and movable relative to the lens-carrier, a plurality of cam surfaces on the diaphragm aperture member, a shutter member, a rotatable shaft which extends through thewallof the camera, an arm mounted on the shaft and having thereon one surface adapted to engage the cam surfaces on the diaphragm member and a secondsurface adapted to engage a cooperating surface of the lens-carrier to provide a cam action whereby oscillation of the shaft will displace the lens-carrier towards or away from the aperture and move the diaphragm member so that a desired aperture is in register with the lens, a portion of the shaft being shaped so as to engage a portion of the shutter member to control the operation of the shutter member, the arrangement being such as to provide for each shutter speed at least two settings of the diaphragm aperture member and the lens-carrier.

4. In a camera having a wall, a lens, a movable lens-carrier movable toward and away from the wall, a lens diaphragm having a plurality of openings registrable with the lens and movable relative to the lens carrier, a movable shutter adjustable for time and instantaneous exposures,

,means for actuating said shutter, a rotatable shaft journaled in said wall, means on said shaft engageable with a cooperating surface on the lens-carrier to provide a cam action so that oscillation of the shaft will urge the lens-carrier in one direction, spring means for urging the lens-carrier in the opposite direction, means on the shaft engageable with a cooperating surface on the lens diaphragm to move the lens diaphragm relative to the lens-carrier upon oscillation of the shaft, said shaft having an eccentric portion which on oscillation of the shaft can be brought into the path of the shutter member to arrest the movement thereof, said shutter member comprising a plate having an aperture therein, which plate-is pivotallymounted on the camera so that the aperture can be brought into register with the lens, the arrangement being such that at least two settings of the diaphragm and the lens carrier are provided by appropriate oscillation of the shaft for each selective setting of the shutter.

ARTHUR WILLIAM KINGSTON.

Images